In an online poll Selahattin Demirtas, the leader of the Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) was chosen as Rudaw’s person of the year 2015. Demirtas beat five other Kurdish contenders by winning %28 of 40,000 votes cast online in two weeks. Demirtas, 42, has been one of the most notable Kurdish politicians in Turkey in recent years. Known for his charisma and outspokenness he has sought to win further cultural and political rights for Kurds by advocating their interests via Turkey's parliamentary process. In his youth as a freelance lawyer and human rights activist he investigated, among other things, political murders in Turkey that have yet to be resolved. He is among the founding members of the human rights watchdog, Amnesty International's post in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir. In 2014 he ran in Turkey’s presidential elections. The campaign at the time revolved around the "peace process" (which has since collapsed) between the state and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In June 2015 the party of which he is the co-founder, HDP, surpassed the 10% margin of seats and won 80 seats in the Turkish parliament. Demirtas's party did pass the 10% in the November snap elections but brought its seats down to 59. The young Kurdish politician has currently advocated "autonomy" for the Kurds of Turkey, expressing his increased frustration with the current order in the country.
